For the past two months, politicians allied to Deputy President William Ruto have casually dismissed threats by the Jubilee Party to overhaul its leadership in both Houses of Parliament.

That was until Monday, May 11, when the camp suffered a major blow after its vocal members Kipchumba Murkomen and Susan Kihika lost their plum positions as Senate majority leader and majority whip respectively.

It was an unexpected move that not only shocked but also badly exposed Tanga Tanga. When Ruto learnt that President Uhuru Kenyatta had invited Jubilee Senators to State House for the Parliamentary Group (PG) meeting in which the changes were effected, he quickly mobilised his lieutenants to boycott the gathering and deny the party the quorum required to make any changes.

This was surprising. Tanga Tanga politicians have been relentlessly calling for a PG meeting and boasting of having huge numbers in both houses of Parliament to dictate the ruling coalition’s affairs.

Given the chest-thumping, one would naturally have expected them to attend the State House meeting - like they have always done before - and use their “supermajority” to reject the changes that were sought by the party leader. Instead, they kept off as President Uhuru calculatingly had his way.

The duo has moved to court to protest their ouster. Photo: Kipchumba Murkomen.Source: UGC

The myth of their huge numbers was debunked when the senators in attendance met the needed quorum and approved the senate leadership changes.

As further proof of the increasingly loosening bond in Tanga Tanga, Murkomen and Kihika were unaccompanied by any of their colleagues when they called a press conference to protest their ouster.

Politicians allied to the DP previously buzzed and attacked in swarms every time their colleagues or the DP’s interests were threatened.

It never bothered them that they were being used to advance Ruto’s personal agenda while sabotaging President Uhuru's vision to develop and unite the country.

DP William Ruto (pictured) is seeking to succeed President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2022. Photo: William Ruto.Source: Facebook

Since 2017, Murkomen and Kihika had used their influential senate leadership positions to advance Ruto’s agenda and became increasingly defiant every time they were warned of the painful consequences they were staring at if they did not reform.

The duo led the Tanga Tanga brigade in a campaign that aimed to deflate the Uhuru's bold decision to go after high-ranking government officials accused of stealing billions of shillings from taxpayers.

They were in the frontline to politicise the President’s directive that all leaders occupying public posts undergo a lifestyle audit.

Murkomen fought inside and outside the House, even personally going to court to represent former National Treasury Cabinet Secretary Henry Rotich, who was accused of masterminding the KSh 21 billion dams scandal.

Murkomen has been in court defending some of the leaders implicated in graft. Photo: Kipchumba Murkomen.Source: Facebook

They had shrewdly pushed for the substantiation of a special select committee, mainly comprising Tanga Tanga senators - to hear the impeachment charges.

But they were left with eggs on their faces after the plan was discovered and defeated in favour of a whole plenary, leading to Waititu’s impeachment.

Knowing they had gatekeepers in the Upper House, Tanga Tanga senators at some point early this year even threatened to impeach the President and have Ruto take over. But they lacked the courage to make good their threat.

Tanga Tanga senators at some point early this year even threatened to impeach the President and have Ruto take over. Photo: Kipchumba Murkomen.Source: Facebook

This week’s changes are thus crucial in that they have taken away from Ruto posts he was abusing to wield his influence at the Senate.

It means the President can now take control of the business of the House.

It is also highly likely that similar changes will be effected in the National Assembly if Tanga Tanga leaders there do not learn from the woes of their Senate counterparts and shape up.

While Ruto claims to have the numbers in the Lower House, Kenyans can only wait and see if Jubilee Party leaders there would be loyal, if not foolish, enough to put their careers on the line for an individual’s sake.

DP William Ruto must now find and chart a new path to 2022 after his apparent fall out with President Uhuru. Photo: William Ruto.Source: Facebook

This ostensibly leaves public forums such as funerals, fundraisers and church services as the only viable platforms for team Tanga Tanga to push its agenda; that of demeaning the President while campaigning for Ruto.

But they will also have to wait to utilise these platforms. With the current coronavirus pandemic and associated social distancing rules, it could be weeks, months or years before large gatherings are allowed again.